Kiln fob burning decorated china



(NoMoae'l.)

C. H. LAND.

` KILN FOR BURNING DEGORATBD CHINA.

No. 394,581. Patented Dec. 18, 1888.

WITNESSES IJV'V'E/TOR www? GJM mmm .MMM

my@ WN 211.38m@

N. PETERS. Piwm-Lilhognphor. wuhnglon, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. LAND, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL HYDRO-CARBON FIIRNACE YCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

KILN FOR BURNING DECORATED CHINA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,581, dated December 18, 1888.

Application filed December 22, 1887. Serial No. 258,723. lNo model.)

To all whom z'f may concern:

Beit known that I, CHARLES H. LAND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of XVayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Firing or Burning Decorated China, &c. and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable 1 o others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

My invention consists of the improvements i 5 hereinafter specified, and more particularly enumerated in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l represents in ver tical section an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an inverted sectional view 2o looking upward against the bottom of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a view of a section on the line @c x, lookin g upward against the bottom of the furnace. Fig. l illustrates how the gas or the air is supplied to the ditferent burners.

This invention is designed as an improvement upon or variation of the, invention for which I applied for Letters Patent April 22, 1886, Serial No. 199,823.

3o The improvement contemplated in this present application is one which adapts the apparatus more particularly for use as a firingkiln for the tiring of decorated china, glassware, and also for the burning of pottery and 3 5 for other similar purposes.

To this end the invention consists more particularly, first, in an upright receptacle for the ware to be burned or fired, said receptacle inclosed within the combustion-chamber 4o of a furnace, with ventilating-conduits leading from the exterior of the furnace into said inner receptacle at the base, and a similar conduit leading from said inner receptacle at the top out to the exterior of said furnace,

through which atmospheric air may, when the furnace is in use, circulate by natural draft or by an enforced blast,or through which any desired gas or vapor may be caused in like manner to circulate by natural draft or 5o by an enforced draft; second, in the construction shown, whereby the inner receptacle is exposed throughout its entire arca to the action of the heat products in the combustionchamber, said receptacle being supported solely at its base; third, in the provision of removable caps at the top of both the furnace and the interior receptacle, said upper ventilating-conduit passing from the interior cap through the exterior cap; fourth, in the provision of means for throwing in or out of po- 6o sition the draft-Hue or escape-conduit above the top of the furnace, thereby affording means for viewing the contents of the interior receptacle through said Ventilating-conduit; fifth, also in the provision at the base of the interior receptacle of means for holding an absorbent through which the entering gas, air, or vapor may be caused to pass, and whereby it maybe robbed of one or more of its chemical constituents-as, for instance, 7o a charge of iron fragmei'its through which en` tering air might pass and be robbed of its oxygen, while its nitrogen might pass beyond and produce an atmosphere of nitrogen about the pottery or articles within the receptacle.

In carrying out my invention, A is a suitable frame-work or support. B is the lower or stationary section of the furnace proper.

B is its removable cap. C is the lower portion of the interior receptacle, and C its 8o removable cap. These two portions-viz., the walls of the furnace and the interior receptacle-are made of highly refractory substance to resist the high heat to which they are subjected.

The inner receptacle, C, is designed for the reception of the decorated china or decorated glassware or pottery or other article to be tired or burned. This interior receptacle is supported solely at its base, so that the heated 9o products in the combustion-chamber of the furnace may circulate about the entire eX- terior surface of the said interior receptacle and its cap.

D is the lower and D the upper ventilating-conduit. The said lower conduit projects from the exterior of the apparatus through the combustion-chamber and into the interior receptacle, and the upper conduit projects from the interior receptacle through the com- 10o bustion-chamber of the furnace and out to the exterior of the apparatus.

At the top of the apparatusl is a draft-flue, D2, which may orimay not be employed; .but if employed it may be engaged with a shifting-lever, D3, or other suitable means whereby it may be shifted on or off from its position over the Ventilating-conduit D', so that when shifted off from over this conduit the operator may look through the conduit and see the condition of the articles within the inner receptacle, C.

E represents the gasconduit, designed for feeding the burners E', of which there may be any number, and F is a conduit designed to lead air to the same burners, the proportion. of air and gas being determined by suitable valves, e.

G represents any suitable damper mechanism, by which the natural or enforced draft through the conduits D and D may be regulated, and a graduated scale, G', may indicate the degree to which said damper is opened or closed. Y

The gas or mixture of gas and air which is burn ed Within the furnace emerges from conduits E2, which are preferably flared, as shown inthe drawings, so as to give to the flame ample spread over the surface of the interior receptacle.

I have discovered that in burning or firing apparatus for firing or burning decorated china and glassware or pottery the monoxide of carbon penetrates or passes through the combustion-chamber into the interior of the inner receptacle and produces the deteriorating effect known as smoking of the Ware, and that free carbon is deposited upon the ware; and I have discovered, further, that the circulation of air through the said interior re ceptacle when the latter is at a red heat prevents this action of the carbon monoxide and removes any free carbon that has been thusv deposited. This it does by converting the carbon monoxide and the free carbon as Well into carbon dioxide and expels the latter from the receptacle. It is for this reason that I have introduced the Ventilating-conduits D and D by placing one at the bottom of the inner recepiacle and the other at its top. This circulation ofl atmospheric air may be effected by natural draft, although I would have it understood that I may, if desirable, supply a forced draft through the lsaid conduits. Immediately above the lower conduit, I), the inner receptacle, C, is adapted to receive any suit-able absorbent, should such absorbent be found desirable. Thus, for instance, I have discovered that it is frequently very desirable to Wholly exclude oxygen from the inner receptacle containing the Wares when the same areA being subjected to a high heat, and so avoid the oxidation of the color ingredients or of the substances themselves Which are be ing burned.

I contemplate the use to a large extent of nitrogen as a neutral atmosphere for the protection of substances Within the interior receptacle fromthe action of oxygen. This ni-- trogen may of course be introduced directly from an exterior source of supply; butI may place Within the receptacle C an absorbent at II, which will abstract from atmospheric air its oxygen and permit the nitrogen to pass beyond. Such an absorbent might be a mass of iron or copper fragments, which, when the inner receptacle is heated, would be in acondition to absorb oxygen with avidity, leaving the nitrogen free to pass beyond. In this Way an atmosphere of nitrogen may be freely maintained with simply a natural draft of atmospheric air. In like manner other absorbents might be employed with other gases for the purpose of abstracting one ingredient and permitting another ingredient to pass beyond. Thus, if in any case it Were desirable to have a monoxide of carbon atmosphere Within the interior receptacle, coke might be employed as the absorbent, through which carbonic-acid gas might be passed and the latter converted thereby into carbon monoxide.

I may be ire-clay or any other suitable backing for the furnace.

l. In apparatus for firing or burning decoratedv chin a, &c., the combination, with a furnace, of an interior 'receptacle for the Ware, said interior receptacle ventilated at its top and base for the circulation of air or gas, substantially as and -for the purposes described.

2. In apparatus for firing or burning decorated chin'a, &c., the combination, with a furnace, of an interior receptacle for the Ware, said ,interior receptacle provided With ventilating-coinluits at the top and bottom leading to the exterior of the furnace, and absorbent material, I-I, through which `the en- IOO tering draft of air or gas is required to pass, Y

interior receptacle for the Ware, said inner receptacle provided with Ventilating-conduits leading therefrom to the exterior of the furnace, of a shiftable flue at the top of the upper conduit and means for shifting the iiue off from over the upper conduit, whereby a IIO View is afforded of the contents of the receptacle, substantially asdescribed.

5, In apparatus for firing or burning decorated china, &c., the combination, with a furnace, of an interior receptacle for the Ware, said inner receptacle provided with ventilating-conduits at its top and base, and a damper for regulating the draft through said ventin 5 lating-eonduits, substantially as and for the provided with an indicator for determining' purposes described. the degree of draft through said conduit, sub- 6. In apparatus for burning or firing deoostantially as described. rated china, me., the combination of a fur- In testimony whereof I sign this specifica- 5 nace and an interior receptacle for the ware, tion .in the presence of two witnesses.

said interior receptacle provided with ventilating-eonduts at the top and bottom, said lower conduit leading' through to the exterior \\it11esses: air and provided with a damper for regulat- M. B. ODOGHERTY,

Io ingI the draft through the saine, said damper JOHN E. \VILES.

CHARLES H. LAND. 

